Woman in hospice care has Santa photo shoot that had tears flowing

The woman, who is in the late stages of dementia, has always loved Santa.

Author:
10News Staff

Published:
1:13 PM EST December 23, 2017

Updated:
2:55 PM EST December 23, 2017

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- It's a photo shoot that didn't leave a dry eye in the house. Santa even shed a tear after it was over.

The pictures are from The Hartsocks' Photography of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The family of a woman named Karen wanted to have the photos shot with her and Santa.

Karen, who suffers from dementia and was recently put in hospice care, absolutely loves Santa. She had been going to the mall for years to see him. She's a great grandmother and a grandmother, so she's been to see him often. Even when she lived on her own, she'd go see Santa.

So this year, her family took her to get her photos with him.

Karen's family says she doesn't talk much anymore, but when they took her to the shoot, she talked to Santa! According to the photographer, she told him she loves him and remembers visiting him.

They say every time Santa got close to her, she'd nuzzle in and close her eyes.

Tears were flowing, but Santa managed to hold it together…until they left, that is.

From a post on the Harsocks' Photography Facebook page, “Karen is so special. She is so loved. And no matter how much time passes, she will always be Santa's #1 girl :). This is truly what the magic of Christmas and the spirit of Santa is all about.”

*Editor's note: The watermark on the photos reads 2016, but the photographer tells us the pictures are from this year.